Probably the biggest theatre story of the past few months is the impending strike or lockout on Broadway. (Though, they're apparently not talking lockout anymore.) Surprisingly few of the NYC bloggers have been touching the issue, though The Playgoer has followed it carefully and with gusto.
For a clear and even-handed (from my perspective) over-view of the months-long stand-off, visit Bloomberg dot com for Jeremy Gerard's coverage that includes some specifics of the contracts.
There was no Broadway shutdown last week, and unless the warring parties breach their temporary truce, none will occur this week. But there's also no contract between producers and stagehands and the union has punched up the tension level, calling a strike vote for next Sunday ...Gerard goes on to point out that much of the conflict may have arisen because "many of the rules governing work in the 13 unions represented on Broadway were won in an age before computer- driven sets, robotic lighting and digital orchestras."The producers and stagehands have been performing this Strindbergian death dance since the end of July. One side presents an offer. The other side pouts like a spurned lover. Everyone gets hot and bothered; everyone cools off and then they start all over again. Mostly it's been for show.
Meanwhile, the NY Times reports today that Broadway producers and theater owners plan to begin imposing parts of their controversial contract on stagehands beginning Monday. It's all been enough to get Mayor Bloomberg involved, though Local 1 turned down his offer to mediate negotiations.
So, what's the deal? Why can't everybody just get along? Well, it's a conflict that's been brewing for decades of everybody thinking they've got the upper-hand.
Here's what a veteran member of Local 1 and onetime negotiator said to me:My conclusion? Also from Bloomberg dot com:"Broadway is a small part of our world, and we can easily find work in TV and movies around the city. If there's a strike or a lockout, the landlords don't care - they get their rent no matter what. But for the producers, every seat that's empty is a seat that can never be filled again. To be honest? We're in a win-win situation."
Here's what a producer involved in the negotiations said to me:
"If I'm producing a musical today, my payroll includes paying a stagehand $40,000 a year to mop the stage. Whether the stage needs mopping or not. This is not skilled labor. I can't afford to keep paying men who don't have anything to do, or men who have too little to do but can't be asked to push a mop."
The only sure result of a shutdown will be to give customers one more reason (along with high ticket prices and swarming pedicabs) to avoid patronizing Broadway.I know we have a few IATSE members reading this. Comments? Thoughts? Are the L1 boys asking for too much or is the League of Producers taking them for granted?
Comments (2)
You are correct when you say that this has been brewing for years. With the large corporations moving into the Broadway arena, a much more corporate mentality is coming to the theatres. Charlotte St. Martin, the new head of the League, comes out of the hospitality industry and we know how they feel about their workers. A Pew study found that 17% of all illegal Mexicans work in the hospitality industry. Robert Sillerman, producer on “The Producers” and “Young Frankenstein”, is out of Clear Channel, no friend to the theatre professional there. Sillerman has decided that for “Young Frankenstein” he will not be posting the grosses on the show, as they are nobodies business but he and Mel. It seems Max Bialystock is now his role model.
It’s a straw man argument that because we’ve got computers and hydraulics and digital this and robotics that, everything changes contractually. Hours, wages and conditions of employment, that’s what’s in a contract. As the equipment becomes more complex, so does the load-in. If you want a plywood set and cloth backdrops, that’s not going to cost you nearly as much to load-in as say, a flying car, 200 moving lights or a surround sound system. The sets today are made of steel, they fly, roll, disappear, do everything except make coffee. We install, operate and maintain some of the best theatrical equipment in the world in small, cramped, outdated theatres and do it safely. This changes nothing about the contract. You still need the manpower to get it in the door and smart, skilled manpower to run it. We, the stagehands, actors and musicians, make the audience gasp with delight and keep them coming back.
The biggest reason the “yellow card” is such an issue is that the crew size on the road is determined by standards set in NYC. It’s a snowball effect. The “yellow card” is a contractual device that requires that if the show coming out of NYC is the same size, then they have to hire the same size crew in the new city. The show doesn’t get smaller the further away from NYC it gets. The “yellow card” is a protection for all stagehands in the country.
Perhaps here would be a good time to discuss accounting practices. A lot of times a loss is not really a loss. A couple of bad weeks on Broadway and a show can run for years on the road. With merchandise and ancillary monies coming in, a profit can still be made even with half full houses. It’s just not reported that way.
The Producers want to return the Investors money sooner and they feel they can do that by cutting labor costs (about 8% of your ticket price). Not by picking better shows, not by better pre-production work to make to load-in go smoother but by hammering the guy who’s mopping the stage. This is like somebody going to Atlantic City and telling the waitress that she’s got to work for less because they don’t like the odds at the craps table.
My advice. Don’t invest harder, invest smarter.
Posted by One NYC Stagehand | October 19, 2007 1:17 AM
Posted on October 19, 2007 01:17
Just to correct something "One NYC Stagehand" said - "The biggest reason the “yellow card” is such an issue is that the crew size on the road is determined by standards set in NYC"
That is not true. Yes, there as a yellow card requirement that dictates what the size of the local crew is for union tours (It is an actual yellow card sent to each city's IA union, hence the name), but there is not a real 'yellow card' requirement for shows in NY. Local one's contract requires that the crew size remain the same until the show is finished loading in. This is often referred to as "breaking the (yellow) card", when the show is allowed to reduce the crew size.
But the size of the NY crew has no impact on the size of the crew on tour.
Posted by A Road Stagehand | October 20, 2007 3:55 PM
Posted on October 20, 2007 15:55